NPC
by Silver HeartCrosser
Summary: A single insignificant sprite's life changes after they're lured into the woods by the infamous and monstrous alternate version of the King Candy Cy-bug monster, Lord Candycane.


It had been a long day, a tiresome Sunday evening as the game had forced my body this way and that in a constant animation sequence; all the while cheering on the racers that violently zipped passed I, and many other lowly NPCs. The programmed sun was hot, the air was dry, and I could taste the sugar particles dancing in the zephyrs like snowflakes freshly falling down in a winter stage.

It would not matter if I introduced myself, because as an NPC we are not programmed with defined personalizes or to care about who we are. We are servants to the game, and whoever is programmed to be ruler.

I was just a copy, of some random sugar coated racer that the programmers had put together, a model, a base to simply decorate easily without adding any real effort. I could not race, only cheer and smile and leap with joy. A supporting piece of animation to make the game seem less isolated. Developers these days had to make sure that video-games were lively, and a good job of that they seemed to be doing thanks to the advancement in technology.

Ten minutes passed, and the player had won the final lap with Swizzle Malarkey. The supporting grandstands filled with Swizzle fans erupted, their cries and cheers swallowing the Sugar Rush theme. Once the player was done I could hear Mr Litwak, if only faintly, declare that the arcade was closing, and with a breath of relief I could feel the game's automatic vice loosen me, enabling me to move about freely until the next game day.

As the crowds began to lift and clear, so had I, I was tired and utterly exhausted and wanted to settle myself into a dormancy like state as soon as possible. However, as eager as I was to escape the clustered gathering of sweet people I nearly tripped and fell down several benches, if it weren't for a strong arm catching me.

_"Oh my! Be careful hon, wouldn't want to crack your skull open now would you?"_

I snapped my head up quickly to look into the eyes of a man, whom of which I had never seen before. He looked like he could be working in the nearest concession stand. Quite honestly he looked a bit out of place, he was very tall for a sprite of this game, but ever since a year and a half or so ago that had been the norm. Sprites have been coming here from all around, calling this place home or traveling through. So long as they avoided the eyes of the player.

This man, had such a kind smile engraved upon his chiseled features, the sunlight catching along his perfectly black hair almost blinding. If I had a bit more personality to my person I might have swooned over him, but all I felt was gratitude, and I smile at him apologetically as he picks me up and places me with ease back on my booted feet.

**"Sorry about that sir, thank you."** I say, fixing the part of my blue sweater his iron grip had clutched. Quite powerful he seemed. Though nice and friendly he looked I felt an odd unease about him but chose to brush it off.

_" No problem hon, be careful now."_ He gives me a curt nod and saunters off with his tray full of sweets and other snacks. How he hadn't wasted them while catching me would forever be a mystery. He looked like he belonged in Street Fighter, with all those muscles. It seemed Sugar Rush was becoming more diverse each day.

As quickly as I ran into the fellow I forget him and carry on my way, until no one other then the princess stops me. I feel a hyperlink spring to life in my spine and down the upper half of my body goes, in a respectable bow. I can feel the slight annoyance in her breath, but she only titters and pats me on the shoulder.

"C-mon now ya don't have to keep doin' that! I'm a president remember silly? Anywho could you do me a solid? My pal Princess Peach in another arcade is feeling pretty down and I wanted to go and deliver a present to her, but I really have to stay and participate in this roster race.

So could ya deliver it for me, please?" The small child batted her eyelashes, as if that was necessary as I had no choice in the matter.

**"Of course, princess. It's the Mario Kart Arcade cabinet, correct?"** I inquire softly.

"Yeah yeah!

_Errg, remind me to fiddle in the code room later Rancis, and loosen up some of our citizens coding? All this formal crud is giving me a headache."_

**"So humorous you are, your majesty."**

She smiles awkwardly and hands me a long heavy object from her inventory. It's wrapped in a dum-dum pop wax paper from the head of the object down to the rod of it. It seemed like a weapon, but it could be anything really. I don't question it, I only nod, showing that I understood my task.

"Thanks chum!" She turns and is instantly devoured by a crowd of chattering racers.

The sight makes my stomach tighten with longing, for friendship as such is something I shan't ever have. It was just the life of an NPC and nothing more.

The crowds become thinner and thinner, and I sigh tiredly, very much wanting to go into sleep mode but knowing all too well that I couldn't.

I began to venture towards the rainbow fruit belt, where the nearest rift or virtual tear in the the game would be somewhere in one of the many tunnels of GCS. You see, getting from game to game was easy by traveling through designated power cords in an arcade's GCS, its serge protector. But to go to other arcades one must travel through a digital rift, surf the electrical currents that run about the player world and enter a new GCS, to foreign arcades.

However, if one were to say, be a powerful program or even a virus, one could travel about the world wide web, which makes things a lot easier. But I was none of those things, and had to make due with what I had.

I continued on my way, letting the ambiance of the game and its cheery tune distract me from thinking of sleep. I had to focus and stay strong, for if I fell asleep it would cause a slight leg in the game, that's where random small glitches and skips came from in games at times.

I kept Peach's gift slung over my shoulder, as if I owned it myself.

Then I heard someone address me, and I turn my head, my heart fluttering in my chest though I don't know why. There was no danger.

It was that man again, the one that righted my balance after I nearly fell.

_"Hey there!"_ He says, walking towards me with a friendly smile full of dazzling white teeth. He's dressed quite differently, through I didn't pay much attention to his attire earlier, it seemed curious why I was paying attention now. He looked formal, very regale, very purple.

He reminds me of that cheerful little King we had as a ruler once.

**"Hello sir, I'm just on my way to deliver a package to a friend of the Princ****_-er_**** President. It's very important that she gets it."** I sport a smile, only because my face is frozen, stuck on a dead, lifeless smile.

The programmers don't give us enough freedom in our wire-frames to move our faces, or change our default emotions.

He nods and placed a friendly hand on my shoulder.

_"You must be tired, I saw you out there with the rest of them, cheering. The life of an NPC is hard and redundant yes?"_

His voice is a little high, it sounds off and none fitting with his overall design, it's as if he's trying to hide a familiar speech impediment.

**"Most certainly sir." **

_"Listen, I know your task seems very important, but I really need your help, your second opinion on something if you will. Would you mind...taking a few steps with me if you..please?" _

I look at him with lifeless eyes, still smiling forcibly.

**"Unfortunately I can't sir. My directive is to deliver this item."** I show him the long and heavy object and turn, continuing on my way. If I had emotions I would feel rude, and maybe a little sorry. But I didn't have any...

_"Oh...ok._

_I just really needed someone to look at this, hopefully amazing piece or work I built for you and the other NPCs to come and...relax at, after arcade hours?"_

_...So I thought._

I feel something, like a conscious, well up in me. He had saved me from falling into what may have very well been my death. Those grandstands were high, after all. I turn and stare at him for a few seconds, unable to show sympathy so I soften my voice, but I'm sure he can understand my condition of being unable to change my expression.

**"Ok..."**

My life, little did I know, would change as an NPC, forever after that.

So I go along with him, I follow this man into the woods, which was a rather odd place to build any kind of supposed 'sanctuary' for us NPCs but I had to admit it was peaceful, ambient, and soothing. How the pink light filtered in long strings through the sugared canopy was something nice to look at, it made me sleepy. I felt like curling up in a tree hallow.

_"You'll love it...ah, what's your name?"_

**"Sprite number 1112."**

_"Oh, that's quite a name there, wouldn't it be nice if the princess ha...President, gave you all unique names?"_

I say nothing, but it would be nice.

It would be nice to be considered anything, other then just an extra.

After a time the forest begins to darken, the trees become more and more twisted and odd red binary snow begins to fall. I think nothing of it for now, only that we must be in some outskirt of the game, none visible to the player eye. No one cared about the outskirts of a game so why should I?

We stop at last to a dim clearing, the ground has been leveled and there's a deep chocolate hole in the earth near a gathering of stale looking peppermint oaks. Bubblegum vines hang loose from their sharp barren branches and drift softly in the breeze. I'am left slightly confused and look towards the man, blinking in question.

_"I know it looks undesirable now...but innnnside~ Is where it counts."_ He winks.

His voice deepens, if only a little, I feel a small tinge of fear now, which confuses me further.

He ushers me towards the hole and I oblige willingly, still holding on to Peach's gift. He instructs that there's a wafer cookie latter to use and I find it with ease, instructions are not hard to follow if one listens well. I place the item next to the hole, that of which he claims will be safe as nothing lived in the forest, and venture down, being careful as I go. Crumbs fall from the steps but the latter is strong, for a moment however I thought I saw something in the corner of my optics laying lifeless on the ground but it's too dark to see anything well and I brush it off.

Once I make it down my boots touch a soft, damp, soil, I'm consumed by the dark, and it feels like the void itself. A place sprites go to when they permanently game-over. He's behind me soon after, and with a heavy firm hand he leads me towards a small veil of light. I could feel his nails dig into my shoulder, and think how odd that is, and that he must have some really lengthy nails.

**"My sir...what long finger nails you have."**

_"Hmhm, all the better to tickle people with.~"_

We reach a lofty room, filled with shiny, beautiful rock candy gems, I'm instantly enraptured as I walk past him. He stands there, watching me. All the while I explore the wondrous sight of candy crystals galore. I feel something in my coding began to froth and threaten to spill over, like a wave of none-existing emotions that had been buried deep with in and only awakened until now.

I turn to look at the gentleman behind me with my same, frozen smile. It may not look it, but in my voice I'm thoroughly enjoying myself already.

_**"This is...this is wonderful sir!" I**_ try to hold back a bit of my systematic optimism, force of habit I guess.

However, his demeanor had totally changed then.

He seemed bend over slightly, his eyes were the first noticeable of anything, glowing a lurid crimson red. A candy cane staff of sorts generates out of nowhere into his hands, that of which he used immediately as support as his smile turns crooked.

**"My sir...you've got some bright eyes there."** I comment, feeling more then uneasy now.

_"Yes well. All the better to see you with..."_ He purrs and smiles and toothy smile, his teeth sharpening.

I take a step back then, something is wrong and his appearance seemed to be warping morbidly. His fingers, if one could even call them that by now, had stretched into ornate talons, wine in color. I back up more, until I'm stopped by a large candy rock, my back pressing up against it.

I wasn't feeling well, at all, I felt sick.

With fear.

Then I state probably what would be that last few civil words exchanged between us.

**"...M-My sir...what oddly shaped...teeth yo e.."**

His smile grows wider now, full of sadistic pleasure as he strides towards me. At this point I've made a break through in my linear programming. I can move my face about as last, and it's anything but a smile. It's an expression full of dread and terror. I take off, my heart thrashing angrily in my chest. He snarls hungrily and lunges for me, only to miss as I hear his claws collide with the sugared rock, but he'S right on my heel as he gives chase. I run as fast as I can, slamming into the makeshift latter of cookie wafers and climbing frantically up, breaking stairs as I go.

Here I'am, into the faint lighting of the gnarled forest, my upper half breaks the surface tension of darkness and I reach towards the package the President has graced me with...

...only to be yanked back.

I feel a clawed hand grasp one of my ankles, pulling me back down. I dig my fingers into the fudge soil, clawing desperately, some sort of distressed noise ripping from my voice files.

_" lL THE B_eTTeR..."_

**"No...Not the voID.."**

_"tOOO000~~~"_

He jerks me back, albeit a little troubled by his transformation that I'm too frightened to witness, but I feel him changing, turning into some blood thirsty monster voidbent on devouring me. But I fight, and I use all my strength to stretch forward towards the package, managing to wrap my dirtied fingers around it's handle. All my grabbing for it and failed attempts had ripped the paper wrapping off thankfully.

I'm left with a choice now.

_"TO EAT YOU WITH MY DEAR."_

I strain my neck down to look at the expanding, warping monstrosity below me.

**"C...Ki..King...cA.N?!"**

I stopped myself, I defy my programming, and I swing the unsheathed candy corn spiked lollimace down towards the beast's face.


End file.
